Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas from rural Georgia!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

How Are Christmas Ornaments Made?

This is how:
http://science.discovery.com/videos/how-its-made-christmas-ornaments.html

Man, oh, man. I do love a good "How It's Made" video. Unfortunately, this particular video didn't show how the glass was formed in the very beginning, but I guess I'm okay with that. I'm just amazed that the shiny part of an ornament is on the inside . . .


Thing I'm thankful for: hoodies.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Ranting but Not Raving

Lately, I've been trying to be grateful. But I have some rants, and here they are:
  1. There are almost no cute socks for women with large feet. Multi-colored stripes? Polka dots? Funky patterns? Large-footed women can just forget about 'em. We certainly can't expect to buy them in a physical store; they must be purchased via the Internets. And you better believe the selection is tiny.


  2. A good purse is hard to find. I can't remember exactly when gigantic purses became the norm, but why did they? Why are purses the size of my torso? Women with enormous purses look a little ridiculous -- like they're going to fall over from the weight of those shiny leather bags. Why does everybody feel the need to channel Mary Poppins? (And let's not forget: Mary Poppins carried everything she owned in that bag because she moved around a lot, not because she was making a fashion statement.)


  3. A lot of people are really bad at determining which photos they should post on their Facebook photo albums. They're usually the kind of people who only post flattering pictures of themselves, but couldn't care less whether other people look downright awful.


Thing I am grateful for: electric blankets!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

My Siblings, or I Can't Believe I Know These People!

I was born into a family full of talent. I'm baffled that somehow, I am genetically linked to such a smart and wonderful group of people. It truly is a wonder.

Growing up, my brothers and sisters were the only people I wanted to be around. I am the youngest of six, so there was never a dull moment. If I was faced with the decision to spend time with my siblings or my friends, I think I must've always chosen my siblings because they were older and cooler. Cami taught me to love Led Zeppelin. Summer taught me that "21 Jump Street" was the hip TV show to watch. Brooks was my protector from Blake, who teased me around the clock. Sometimes, Blake would let me play with his toys, though, and I appreciated that because it's the only time in my life that I've ever been interested in "boy" sorts of things. I think it was good for me.

And Lexia. Lexia was my best friend. She always had the best ideas. She always knew what to do next. Sure, we fought -- hard -- but we always ended up being friends in the end. She taught me about art and design.


When it was just me in the house with mom and dad, I was very lonely. My best friends had all left, and I had to go outside the family to make more. I missed the way we would all plop down in front of the TV after school and watch "Murphy Brown" and "Cheers" together. I missed combining our money at the city pool and sharing an order of nachos and pop.

But now that we are all grown up, it's fun to see what each of my siblings do and are interested in. Let me show you:
  • Cami is an excellent talker and salesperson and cook. She can carry on a conversation with anyone, and she can get them so excited and interested in absolutely anything she wants. I think it was my dad who said that she could talk an Eskimo into buying a freezer. It's true! And she can cook! Amazing, wonderful, yummy food!
  • Summer is the most organized and punctual of all of us. She is a good teacher and a patient person, and she can draw or design anything. I used to watch her draw paper dolls for me. I remember being amazed that she hardly ever had to use an eraser. She's a teacher now, and she's really good at that, but I think she should drop everything and start illustrating children's books.
  • Brooks is a computer science genius. He knows a lot about a lot of things. He owns a business and along with my brother-in-law, is about to open his first data center. I think Brooks's best talent, though, is that he is an extremely good dad. (Check out Fogo Data Center Solutions.)
  • Blake is excellent at working hard and playing hard. He reminds me that when I have a family, I need to remember that vacations and changes of scenery are important. He also owns a business and is a very successful freelance writer. He embodies the Nike slogan more than anyone I've ever seen; he's a doer. He gets things done. (See BlakeSnow.com.)
  • Lexia is an artist, through and through. She stays up late, gets up late, marches to the beat of her own drum, and simultaneously does and doesn't care what she looks like during the day. She is wonderful at drawing caricatures of everyone in our family. She notices things no one else does. (See the Web site of Lexia Snow.)

So you see? I know the best of people. Be jealous! :)


Thing I'm thankful for: movie popcorn!

Monday, December 06, 2010

A Holiday Testimony

In the midst of my discomfort and anxiety about moving, I read something a few days ago that brought peace to my soul. It was a testimony, borne by a modern-day prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, in 2004:

I am so profoundly grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for a testimony of the Atonement of the Savior. I believe in it with all my heart, and I live for it, and I bear witness of it this day. Of all of the events of human history, none other approaches the Atonement of the Savior in its meaning and in its results. God be thanked for the gift of His precious Son, to whom we all owe thanks for His sacrifice in our behalf. ("Inspirational Thoughts," Liahona)

I wanted to post it here on my blog and publicly echo President Hinckley's words. I, too, am profoundly grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for my testimony, which buoys me up when I feel like I'm about to drown. I was born to a life full of opportunities and good things, but it is for Christ's example and His atonement that I am most grateful.

I'm especially glad to celebrate His birth and life this year . . . Merry Christmas!